Subjective well-being can be predicted by caudate volume and promotion focus.

It is well-known that the caudate nucleus is associated with motivational behaviors and subjective well-being. However, no longitudinal studies have examined the relationship between brain structure, behavioral orientations, and subjective well-being. This study analyzes data from our previous longitudinal study to examine whether future subjective well-being can be predicted by the volume of the caudate nucleus. We also examined whether behavioral orientation, based on the regulatory focus theory showing two orientations-promotion and prevention focus-was related to the volume of the caudate nucleus. Voxel-based morphometry analysis indicated that the left caudate volume was positively associated with rating scores for future subjective well-being and promotion orientation. Further, mediation analysis indicated that promotion orientation significantly mediated the relationship between future subjective well-being and left caudate volume. The findings indicate that future subjective well-being can be predicted by the volume of the left caudate nucleus, and that this relationship is mediated by promotion focus orientation.

A new measure of regulatory focus: Preventing measurement error by promoting best validation practices.

OBJECTIVE AND BACKGROUND: The goals of this project were to improve our understanding of chronic regulatory focus constructs and to provide researchers with a measure that adequately assesses the constructs, can distinguish individual differences effectively across the range of the constructs, and is appropriate for use in diverse populations. METHOD: Employing best practices in construct validation, we developed the International Personality Item Pool Regulatory Focus Scale (IPIP-RFS). Utilizing 14 samples (N = 4867), we established substantive (via expert ratings and regulatory focus literature), structural (via factor analysis, item response theory, and measurement invariance), and external (via convergent, discriminant, and predictive associations) validity. RESULTS: The IPIP-RFS adequately assesses the constructs of chronic promotion focus and prevention focus, can accurately assess individuals along the continua of the constructs, and is suitable for use among populations that vary in gender, race, and age. Individual differences in promotion focus reflect self-regulation and goal pursuit related to cognitive and behavioral exploration and flexibility (i.e., plasticity), whereas individual differences in prevention focus reflect self-regulation and goal pursuit related to motivational and interpersonal steadiness (i.e., stability). CONCLUSIONS: Promotion and prevention focus are important elements of personality with broad implications for functioning and outcomes in health and other important domains.

Gamification in personal health record systems: a regulatory fit perspective.

OBJECTIVE: It has been known that individuals' regulatory focus differences (prevention orientation or promotion orientation) influence health-related behaviors. However, in the gamification literature, when classical and gamified applications are discussed, the gain frame is predominantly included, whereas the loss frame is not sufficiently considered. In this study, individuals' evaluations of gamified and non-gamified personal health record systems with different frames were examined. METHODS: A 2 (type of personal health record system application: gamified vs. non-gamified) X 2 (frame: gain vs. loss) between-subject design was implemented, and users' regulatory foci were tested in this study. We predicted that systems that are gamified and aligned with users' regulatory foci will be evaluated more favorably than systems that are not aligned with users' regulatory foci. RESULTS: Contrary to what the gamification literature suggests, we found that individuals do not always prefer gamified systems over non-gamified ones. Participants' regulatory focus might play a crucial role in their attitudes toward gamified platforms. CONCLUSION: The findings might contribute to the design of personal health record systems by bearing the individual motivational differences of users in mind.

Integrating the ESM usage and work engagement for employee agility performance: based on regulatory focus theory.

This present research aims to clarify the intricate conjunction of enterprise social media (ESM) utilization and employee agility with a main focus on uncovering the underlying mechanisms that work through the mediating influence of work engagement and the moderating influence of regulatory focus. Drawing upon regularity focus theory, 353 Chinese samples of ESM users in organizational contexts are analyzed using SPSS 23.0. The empirical findings substantiate a robust and significant positive linkage between ESM usage and worker agility. Further reinforcing the model, the mediating role of work engagement is established as it channels the impact of ESM usage on worker agility. Turning to the moderating effects, the study unveils the differential impact of prevention focus and promotion focus, wherein individuals with a lower prevention focus exhibit a more pronounced positive linkage between ESM usage and worker agility. Similarly, individuals with a higher promotion focus demonstrate a heightened positive association between ESM usage and worker agility. By comprehensively inspecting the intricate dynamics of ESM usage, work engagement, and regulatory focus, this study enhances our theoretical understanding of how these factors synergistically shape employee agility, ultimately furnishing organizations with invaluable insights to foster and cultivate an agile workforce.

The effect of parental regulatory focus on the loneliness stigma of college children.

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to examine the relationship between regulatory focus and loneliness stigma, as well as the intergenerational transmission of the two. Specifically, the study analyzed the effects of fathers' and mothers' regulatory focus on their own and their spouses' stigma of loneliness. In addition, a mediation model was constructed to explore how parents' regulatory focus influences their children's stigma of loneliness and the potential mediating mechanisms involved. METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed to 470 college students and their parents, employing the Regulatory Focus Questionnaire (RFQ) and the Stigma of Loneliness Scale (SLS) to collect data. RESULTS: The analysis of intergenerational transmission effects revealed that parents' regulatory focus and loneliness stigma significantly and positively predicted children's regulatory focus and loneliness stigma, respectively. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) elucidated that both fathers' and mothers' promotion focus exerted significant influence on both actor and partner's loneliness stigma. Furthermore, the mediation model analysis indicated that parents' loneliness stigma, along with children's regulatory focus operate as mediators in the influence of parental regulatory focus on loneliness stigma of their college-aged offspring. CONCLUSIONS: From a familial context, this study, investigated the association between regulatory focus and loneliness stigma, along with the mediating roles within parent-child groups and couples. The findings enhanced our comprehension of the interrelation between regulatory focus and loneliness stigma, underpinned by empirical evidence.

Examining Medical Staff Well-Being through the Application and Extension of the Job Demands-Resources Model: A Cross-Sectional Study.

For medical staff, job satisfaction is essential for advancement on an individual and organizational level. This study looked into the relationships between challenging job demands, job resources, personal resources, and well-being. Additionally, it examined the potential mediating effects of emotional exhaustion and work motivation within the framework of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Results from a cross-sectional study of 267 medical employees at a second-grade comprehensive hospital in Jiangsu, China's mainland, indicated that challenging job demands and job satisfaction were positively correlated and mediated via (decreasing) emotional exhaustion. The relationship between job resources and job satisfaction was found to be mediated via (decreasing) emotional exhaustion and (increasing) work motivation. The investigation also demonstrated that the two regulatory focuses serve different purposes. It was discovered that promotion focus had a favorable effect on work motivation but a negative effect on emotional exhaustion. Conversely, preventive focus only positively predicted emotional exhaustion. Thus, the JD-R model offers a valuable structure for clarifying the job satisfaction of health personnel. The implications for enhancing individual and job outcomes are discussed.

Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the health regulatory focus scale in Chinese samples.

This study sought to validate the psychometric properties of the Health Regulatory Focus Scale (HRFS), emphasizing its manifestation and association with personality traits in a Chinese context. Originally developed by Ferrer, the HRFS gauges individuals' inclinations either to avoid negative health outcomes (prevention focus) or achieve positive health outcomes (promotion focus). Our cross-sectional analysis involved a diverse sample of 652 Chinese participants, averaging 39.6 years in age (SD = 9.39). Data were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS, and both exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were employed to assess the HRFS's factor structure. Additionally, we evaluated convergent and discriminant validity, criterion-related validity, internal consistency reliability, and test-retest reliability. The CFA results (CFI = 0.985, TLI = 0.971, RMSEA = 0.059, and SRMR = 0.047), combined with McDonald's omega value (0.916) and the test-retest correlation coefficient (0.78) for the HRFS, underscore its robust construct validity and reliability. Furthermore, the promotion dimension of the HRFS exhibited significant positive correlations with all dimensions of the Chinese Adjectives Short Scale of Big-Five Factor Personality (BFFP-CAS-S). In conclusion, the HRFS's Chinese adaptation offers a reliable and valid instrument for assessing health regulatory focus.

Error orientation in a decision-making simulation program: differences between promotion vs. prevention focus.

Changing situations develop work environments where workers must generate strategies to learn and persist from continuous errors and setbacks. Previous research has shown that errors enhance motivation, break the routine, lead to creative solutions, and reduce frustration; however, this positive aspect seems to have a stronger presence if personal factors and contextual background support such a focus. The main aim of this paper was to analyse, with an experimental design, how different frames about errors and negative feedback (error promotion versus error prevention) affected performance and decision-making processes in a complex simulation task, taking into account individual attitude towards errors. The sample included 40 employees of a Spanish transportation company (37.5% were women and 62.5% were men). Firstly, participants answered a questionnaire about their individual Error Orientation. Then, they were randomly assigned to an experimental condition to carry out a complex decision-making task through a multimedia simulator, which aimed to expose the participant to factors that influence the dynamics of innovation and change, elements that are present in all modern organizations. None of the participants had previous experience in the task. Performance was measured through different aspects: (1) final performance values: adopters, points, time to make decisions and time after receiving negative feedback; (2) the decision-making process. Results showed that error orientation is related to final performance, especially error risk taking and error communication. The effect of the experimental condition was higher for the time to make decisions after receiving negative feedback and for the time to complete the simulation program. Those who worked under the error prevention condition took significantly longer to perform the task. Although our results show non-consistent effects, which frame than the other (promotion versus prevention) is better to make decisions is discussed. A promotion frame prioritizes flexibility, openness, and rapid progress, but does so by sacrificing certainty, and careful analysis. The most crucial factor may be which one best fits the demands of the task at hand.

Better safe than sorry: Oxytocin shifts the regulatory focus.

Oxytocin (OT) is known to play a major role in social cognition and behavior. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether OT also affects the motivational system, specifically, the regulatory focus. Because OT weakens the self- and promotes the other-bias, we hypothesized that OT would decrease promotion focus and increase prevention focus. To test this, we conducted two experiments. In each, male participants intranasally administered OT or a placebo and assessed their regulatory focus using validated paradigms. Results revealed that OT led to an increase of prevention focus (Studies 1 and 2) and a slight but non-significant decrease of promotion focus (Study 2). Thus, participants under OT (vs. placebo) saw potential losses as more important, while they tended to devaluate potential gains. This was unrelated to the perceived likelihood of success. These findings indicate that OT might provide adaption to the social environment by pursuing a vigilant motivational strategy.

Effects of two-dimensional cyber incivility on employee well-being from a self-determination perspective.

The research attempts to explore the effects of two-dimensional cyber incivility on employee well-being. Based on self-determination theory and regulatory focus theory, we conducted two studies to examine the mediating role of intrinsic motivation and the moderating role of promotion focus between cyber incivility and emotional exhaustion. The results demonstrated that both active and passive cyber incivility predicted increased emotional exhaustion, with intrinsic motivation serving as a key mediator. There was no consistent conclusion of promotion focus's moderating role. High promotion focus might aggravate the negative effect of passive cyber incivility on intrinsic motivation. The present article provides deeper step towards understanding of cyber incivility, which also helps in the development of intervention strategies to lessen or avoid the negative impact of work-related stressful events on employee well-being.

Leveraging Empowering Leadership to Improve Employees' Improvisational Behavior: The Role of Promotion Focus and Willingness to Take Risks.

Improvisational behavior is an individual's spontaneous and creative behavior in the face of emergencies, using existing material and emotional resources to respond quickly and effectively to uncertain situations. Despite increasing interest in this behavior, its antecedents remain unclear, with particular ambiguity regarding the relationship between empowering leadership and employee improvisational behavior. The present article addresses this ambiguity with the theory of reasoned action to examine whether the impact of empowering leadership on employees' improvisational behavior is determined by employees' attitudes toward such behavior. In this study, a multi-source design was adopted, and data (339 valid samples) were collected from five Internet companies in China's Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. Hierarchical regression and bootstrapping methods were used to test the hypotheses. The results reveal that (1) employees' promotion focus moderates the relationship between empowering leadership and improvisational behavior and (2) employees' willingness to take risks mediates the moderating effect of promotion focus. Our findings demonstrate employees' attitudinal utility in explaining when improvisational behavior is most likely to occur under empowering leadership.

What's inside the Mind of a CEO? The Effects of Discretionary Slack Resources on R&D Investment.

This study investigates the effects of discretionary slack resources on a firm's R&D investment. Specifically, we examine whether and how a CEO's psychological traits play a role in the relationship between discretionary slack and R&D investment. Using a panel sample from U.S. manufacturing firms in 2006-2010, we found that slack resources lead to an increase in R&D intensity. Furthermore, this positive effect is stronger when CEOs have a strong promotion focus and perceive an addressable negative attainment discrepancy. Thus, our findings show how (a) the level of discretionary slack and (b) CEOs' promotion focus and aspiration level jointly shape R&D investment decisions. Considering CEOs' psychological traits contributes to a more comprehensive view of the conditions under which discretionary slack resources matter for a firm's strategic decisions.

Shared Leadership and Improvisation: Dual Perspective of Cognition-Affection.

Improvisation is an effective way to cope with rapid changes and obtain unexpected opportunities in a complex environment. Based on the cognitive-affective system theory, this study investigates the dual mediating role of cognitive flexibility and emotional intelligence between shared leadership and improvisation and the moderating role of promotion focus. We used multilevel and multi-sourced data to test the theoretical model and used a social network approach to measure shared leadership in teams. Our sample was comprised of 40 teams and 240 team members. The empirical findings indicated that cognitive flexibility and emotional intelligence mediated the relationship between shared leadership and improvisation; promotion focus moderated the relationship between shared leadership and improvisation, and the mediation effect via cognitive flexibility. This study contributes to expanding on improvisation research from the perspective of shared leadership and incorporating both the cognitive and the emotional process of the generation of improvisation into a theoretical framework from a compound perspective, which will open the black box for the mediation mechanism from shared leadership to improvisation. Furthermore, promotion focus is introduced into the research and creatively corresponds to the cognition-affection mediation mechanism, which expands the applicable scope of the regulatory focus theory.

Creation and validation of the Chinese regulatory focus in relationships scale across multiple relationships context.

A regulatory focus in relationships motivates individuals to be concerned about the presence/absence of positives (promotion focus)/negatives (prevention focus) in social interactions. How to capture the regulatory focus in relationships remains unclear. Based on regulatory focus theory, we created a regulatory focus in relationships scale (RFRS) with a sample of Chinese undergraduates. The RFRS included four subscales of interpersonal relationships (parent-child, teacher-student, friend, classmate), each of which consists of a model of promotion-prevention focus. With a series of interviews and tests, we found that the RFRS had acceptable validation and reliability. And promotion-prevention focus in relationships is context-dependent: Chinese undergraduates hold high promotion and low prevention focus for parents, friends, and classmates, while they hold high prevention focus and low promotion focus for teachers. The regulatory focus in relationships newly created can be used for future studies to test relational motivation in the specific interpersonal context.

Environmental Transformational Leadership and Green Innovation in the Hotel Industry: Two Moderated Mediation Analyses.

This research aims to investigate the relationships between transformational environmental leadership (ETL), organizational citizenship behavior for the environment (OCBE), and green innovation (GI). At the same time, green perceived organizational support (GPOS) and promotion focus (PF) roles were examined as moderators. Integrating transformational leadership, ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO), social exchange, expectancy, and regulatory focus theories, a quantitative research-based methodology was adopted with structural equation modelling (SEM), and smart partial least squares (PLS) program to analyze the obtained data from 388 guest-contact employees. The results show that ETL positively affects OCBE; in return, OCBE mediated the association between ETL and GI. The results also approved the positive moderation effects of the GPOS and PF variables on the association between ETL and OCBE. In the context of the hotel industry, we discuss the implications that these results have for both research and practice.

The roles of individual differences in time perspective, promotion focus, and innovativeness: Testing technology acceptance model.

The goal of this study is to examine the roles of Zimbardo's time perspective along with other individual differences such as promotion focus and innovativeness in perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and attitude toward SNSs (social networking sites) in the technology acceptance model (TAM). A total of 234 participants joined this online study in South Korea. As predicted, past positive time perspective (TP) positively affected promotion focus and innovativeness, whereas past negative TP negatively affected them. Present hedonic TP positively affected innovativeness, and present fatalistic TP negatively affected promotion focus each. Future TP also positively related to promotion focus and innovativeness. In addition, simple and serial mediation effects of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness independently and sequentially mediated the impact of TP on attitude toward SNSs. By considering TP along with promotion focus and innovativeness in conjunction with beliefs in the TAM, this study identifies psychological underpinnings of how individual differences affect technology adoption attitude and behavior. Research implications and future research suggestions will be discussed in detail.

The effect of director-deputy director promotion focus congruence on team knowledge creation: A social identification perspective.

As a new leadership style, promotion-focused leadership has attracted the attention of theorists and practitioners. Existing research emphasizes the positive value of director personal promotion focus on team creative behavior while overlooking director-deputy director promotion focus fit. Based on Regulatory Fit Theory and Social Identity Theory, this study explored the effect of director-deputy director promotion focus fit on team knowledge creation and the mediating role of team identification. We used polynomial regression and response surface analysis to analyze the data from 674 questionnaires. The results demonstrate that: (1) director-deputy director congruence in promotion focus is positively related to team identification; (2) under the condition of director-deputy director promotion focus congruence, the level of team identification does not significantly increase when director-deputy director promotion focus rises from "low-low" to "high-high"; (3) team identification plays a mediating role in the relationship between director-deputy director promotion focus congruence and team knowledge creation.

Self-regulation and healthy lifestyles: considering the future may increase current physical activity levels.

The present study examined whether people's consideration of consequences (future vs. immediate consequences; CFC) can predict physical activity behaviour (PAB) and, to explore key mechanisms that may underline such association. To that end, participants (N = 128) filled in standardised measures of CFC and PAB, and questionnaires of health regulatory focus, attitude and intention as mediators of the CFC-PAB association. Regression analysis revealed that CFC-immediate was negatively associated with PAB, and that health regulatory promotion focus and intention were both positively associated with PAB. Mediation analysis revealed a significant effect of CFC-future via health promotion focus, attitude, and intention on PAB. Findings are discussed considering both susceptibility and buffering hypotheses. CFC-future buffers against self-control failure because it is associated with a promotion focus and with both more positive attitudes and stronger intentions towards PAB. Interventions promoting a physically active lifestyle should foster people to value and become aware of the future consequences of their actual PAB.

Egoism or Altruism? The Influence of Cause-Related Marketing on Customers' Extra-Role Behavior.

Based on attribution theory and regulatory focus theory, this paper discusses the influence mechanism of cause-related marketing on customers' extra-role behavior and the moderating effects of customer promotion focus and customer prevention focus. The results show that egoistic cause-related marketing (ECRM) has a negative impact on customer extra-role behavior, while altruistic cause-related marketing has a positive impact on customer extra-role behavior. Customer promotion focus has a significant positive moderating effect on the negative impact of ECRM on customer extra-role behavior; customer promotion focus also has a significant positive moderating effect on the positive effect of altruistic cause-related marketing on customer extra-role behavior. There is a significant negative moderating effect of customer prevention focus on the negative impact of ECRM on customer extra-role behavior, while there is a significant positive moderating effect of customer prevention focus on the positive impact of altruistic cause-related marketing on customer extra-role behavior.

Employee mindfulness and proactive coping for technostress in the COVID-19 outbreak: The roles of regulatory foci, technostress, and job insecurity.

The transition to digital platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic has created technostress to several workers. Our study aims to investigate whether employee mindfulness contributes to their proactive coping for technostress. We built the dataset from 714 employees from service industries during the pandemic. The findings lent credence to the role of prevention focus in mediating the positive link between dispositional mindfulness and proactive coping for technostress as well as the role of promotion focus in mediating the positive relationship between interpersonal mindfulness and proactive coping for technostress. Technostress was found to strengthen the negative association between prevention focus and proactive coping for technostress while job insecurity represented an attenuating effect on such a link. The results further confirmed the attenuating effect of job insecurity on the positive link between promotion focus and proactive coping for technostress. This study adds dispositional and interpersonal mindfulness as crucial personal antecedents to proactive coping for technostress as well as offers insights into mechanisms underlying such relationships.